Is North Korea's Nuclear Missile Sub Ready to Set Sail?

North Korea's nuclear ballistic missile submarine may be prepared to head out to sea. The deployment of the submarine would make the country's nuclear weapons more difficult to track while theoretically extending their range, possibly as far as the United States and beyond.

Related Story

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

According to longtime North Korea watcher Joseph Bermudez at 38North, satellite imagery (above) provides circumstantial evidence that the submarine and the floating barge used to test missiles have both recently gone to sea. Bermudez points to removal of camouflage netting over the submarine—likely meant to deter exactly this kind of analysis—and the presence of stacks of supplies next to the sub.

Kim Jong-un with Gorae missile submarine in background. KCNA photo.

Another feature discovered by studying satellite imagery is the enlargement of an earthen berm near a missile test site. Bermudez believes the larger berm is meant to test larger, longer-range missile engines for the Gorae program.

The Gorae (whale) class experimental missile submarine is North Korea's attempt to acquire sea-based nuclear weapons capability. The submarine was first identified in 2014 by South Korea's Defense Ministry, and has been monitored by Bermudez and 38North ever since. The submarine is 219 feet long and displaces 2,000 tons. By comparison, a U.S. Navy Ohio-class missile submarine is 560 feet long and displaces 18,000 tons.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Unlike most modern ballistic missile submarines, which feature two rows of missile silos behind the sail, Gorae apparently has just one or two silos built directly into the sail. This is similar to the layout of the former Soviet Union's Golf-class submarines, and indeed North Korea is thought to have received ten Golf subs sold as scrap during the 1990s.

The U.S. believes North Korea has equipped the subs with the Pukkuksong-1 (Polaris 1) submarine-launched ballistic missile. The missile has undergone a whirlwind development schedule, with eleven launches between 2014 and 2016. The quick development schedule highlights the how important North Korea believes it is to have a successful nuclear program. The country's nukes are generally considered to be intended as insurance in case of an attack by the United States. By placing them at sea, the country theoretically has a platform that could ride out—and therefore effectively deter—a first strike.

North Korea has tested five nuclear weapons, including two in 2016 alone. A nuclear-armed submarine would be able to extend the range of country's nuclear arsenal by sailing closer to targets. That said, a domestically-made North Korean missile submarine will be relatively noisy underwater and easy for U.S., South Korean, and Japanese anti-submarine warfare forces to detect and destroy. We can only hope.

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Popular Mechanics participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.